


What We Feel

by LNHWrites



Series: Connor AU [2]
Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: Feels, Multi, by request, falliam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LNHWrites/pseuds/LNHWrites
Summary: As requested, more Connor fluff.
Relationships: Fallon Carrington & Connor, Fallon Carrington/Liam Ridley, Liam Ridley & Connor
Series: Connor AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1654285
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	What We Feel

**Author's Note:**

> As requested by Annee12315, more Falliam + Connor. Especially since we won't see anything more of them until the 27th, may as well run with it while the muse requests a creative outlet :) May add to this series later as well.

Fallon sank into one of the chairs at Liam's kitchen table, biting back the sigh that so wanted to escape. As much as she had told Liam she wanted a family, wanted kids... well, she hadn't expected to take in someone else's kid when he was already eleven years old. That seemed a tad bit unfair, in her opinion. But at the same time, she did like Connor. They had more in common than she had thought, at first, and admittedly, had to wonder whether their most stark similarity was in some way her fault. She'd tried to send him and Heidi away, in part out of fear but also because she believed Liam didn't want them around.

It wasn't fair, necessarily, but she had already done it. So she couldn't fix her misbehavior now, could she? All she could do was try and make it up to Connor, and hope that she was wrong about the precise reasoning behind Heidi's disappearance. 

In truth, Fallon was still completely shocked that a mother would leave her son with a woman like Fallon Carrington. She knew full well that she was a lot, and that her first meeting with Liam's son had been a bad one. Moreover, she felt confident in her assumption that Connor just didn't like her. At all, in fact.

At that moment, as if he could hear her thoughts, he was sitting in the living room to her left, playing a video game that Liam had provided. After how he had reacted to her attempts at including herself in his and Liam's fun – and after how thoroughly she'd managed to embarrass herself that night – Fallon hadn't asked them to invite her into their games again. Despite having shared the most painful part of her past with him, it didn't exactly solve the problems they'd had since the beginning.

So she let him play, wondering how long Liam would be gone.

He'd asked her to watch him while he was out that Sunday afternoon. In desperation, he had asked her for another chance at writing for Fallon Unlimited, and she'd known immediately that it was a request borne out of a need for time out of the house without Connor feeling like they were just leaving him on his own. Liam hadn't hired a babysitter or anything, and with Connor now enrolled in a local school, during the day he had some time to himself. But it was a very stark difference, and hard to adjust to.

She turned her gaze back to the binder in front of her on the kitchen table. Their wedding was still on, mercifully, but the planning was taking much longer than anticipated. She didn't want to shove it in Connor's face that his father was marrying someone else, just as her own father had done, however many years later. But she also wasn't going to give up the chance she had with Liam. Not again. Not ever again.

Although it was hard to make decisions without wondering if Liam would approve or not – particularly after promising that she would run things by him first – Fallon tried to make a list of suggestions that she thought they'd both like. Maybe after Connor went to sleep, or in the office the next morning, she and Liam could go through them.

Really, Fallon wasn't even sure if it was appropriate for her to stay over at Liam's again. She hadn't since that first night – at least, not when Connor could potentially know about it. Sometimes Liam asked her to, but not until the boy had gone to sleep. Fallon wasn't sure if he'd figured them out or not, though.

Her phone rang eventually, and Fallon realized she hadn't accomplished much of anything in the time since they'd ordered in lunch.

“Hey, honey,” she greeted, a lightly teasing tone to her voice.

“Sweetheart,” he returned, having picked up on her amusement with looking back at their early days. 

“How'd it go?” Fallon asked, resting her chin atop her fist. “Did it feel good to be back out there again?”

She could hear the smile he was most certainly wearing when he replied, “It really did. I've missed it. But how are you two? Things still weird?”

“A little,” she admitted, glancing towards the living room only to find Connor turned around on the couch, staring at her over the back of it. His game was paused and his chin rested on the couch cushions. “But it's been a good day, I think, for all of us.” She offered a weak smile but he just turned away. The smile fell and she looked back at her binder again. Then whispered, “Or _not_.”

“Fal?”

She shook her head a little. “You're on your way home?”

Liam confirmed that he was, and they exchanged their _I love you_ s before ending the call. As soon as she did, Fallon heard Connor huff. But upon inspection, she discovered he hadn't lost his game or anything. He just sounded... unhappy. Her eyes scrunched closed and her eyebrows pulled together. She'd intended to stay for dinner but perhaps she shouldn't.

By the time Liam made it home, she'd already packed her things and was ready to leave.

“Fallon?” Liam asked, gesturing towards her things where they sat ready by the front door.

She approached, reaching out to stop the door as he tried to close it. Though she tried to catch his eye, Liam's attention had drifted to his son, presumably, behind her. The sounds of his game kept on as she explained under her breath. “I don't think I ought to stay,” she told Liam.

His hands reached for her hips. “Why? What happened?”

“Nothing,” she sighed. “Just... I don't know. He doesn't like me. And, I mean, I get it. I reacted the same way when dad remarried. Only, I don't know what it's like when your parents never even...” She shook her head.

Liam reached a hand up, and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Hey. This is just really new, okay? And if he doesn't like being here with us, we can keep looking for Heidi. We'll figure it out.”

Fallon nodded, turning her chin to press a kiss into his palm. “Okay. But I still think I should probably get out of your hair for the night. Give him some space and all.”

“Whatever you think is best,” he told her. “I'll see you at work tomorrow after I drop him off.”

She reached down to pick up her bags, and though she was disappointed with the whole ordeal, she still smiled into the kiss Liam pulled her into once she straightened up again. They tried not to be too gross in front of Connor, but she didn't want to lose this part of their relationship, either. A single look, touch, or kiss from him could sort her out more quickly than most other things.

“I love you,” he reminded her when he pulled back.

Behind Fallon, the television shut off suddenly, and she heard Connor slap the remote down on the couch. As she turned around, she caught sight of him as he stormed out of the room.

“...Oh,” she breathed. “That makes more sense.”

“Huh?”

She turned back to Liam. “Have you told him...? I mean-- Liam, he must've heard us say how much we care about each other over and over, dozens of times by now. I don't think I've ever heard you say that to him.”

“I... I don't really know him, yet,” Liam tried to rationalize, shaking his head slightly.

“Most parents just love their kids regardless. Because they're family. And maybe you and I don't get that, but... maybe it's something he needs to hear. After all, Heidi just... she just left him here. Didn't even explain. You're all he has, now. And I know that's not fair, but he's such a sweet kid, even if he sort of hates me. You're his--”

“I get it,” he agreed. 

Liam pressed a kiss to her forehead, his hand brushing over her hair before he stepped away.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” he repeated. “I just... I'll go talk to him. We'll figure something out.”

Fallon pressed her lips together, understanding how thoroughly confused he must be feeling. After gently squeezing his upper arm, she stepped out and left them to it.

–

At work the next morning, Fallon couldn't quite figure out what to do with herself. Liam hadn't arrived yet, which was odd, because she was quite sure that the drop off time for Connor's school was at least an hour back. Very odd. She thought about calling him to check in, but supposed a bit of traffic or an errand could have altered his usually punctual schedule.

It wasn't much later, however, that her door opened. Fallon looked up, her eyes widening as Connor himself walked in. She pressed her hands to the top of her desk, standing and staring at him. “What are you--?” She began, thinking he'd left school somehow and found his way to her office.

But then, as Liam walked in behind him, she remembered that Connor had never been to her building before.

“Liam?”

“It's okay,” he assured her, holding up a hand when it registered how nervous she'd become. “I told the school he's taking a sick day.”

She frowned, tilting her head to the side. “He's only been there like two weeks.”

Liam shrugged. “Yeah, well. We have some things we need to talk about, so I figured this one time it'd be okay.” Even so, he looked a bit anxious, like he worried she would continue to argue with him. Fallon decided, for the sake of his parental authority, that she ought to drop it.

“Things all of us need to talk about?” She asked instead, glancing towards a now even more uncertain-looking Connor.

With a firm nod, Liam shut the door behind him and gestured for them all to sit.

Fallon took the chair from behind her desk and brought it around so the three of them could sit without any furniture in between them. It wasn't lost on her, however, that Connor sat on the other side of Liam from where her chair ended up.

“Okay,” Liam began with a slight sigh, his hands winding around each other in his lap. “So, I had a chat with Connor last night. About how we're both feeling about all of this. About... how confusing it is, and how worried I am about making a mess of all this.”

Fallon's eyebrows lifted as she looked between the father and son. Connor's cheeks turned pink under her curious gaze, but he spoke up after a moment. “We're sort of the same,” he told her. Fallon took that to mean that he was also worried about things becoming more difficult somehow.

“That's good,” she mused gently, nodding. “So now you two are on the same page, I hope? Or closer to it?”

Connor started to nod, but Liam jumped in with, “Well, not exactly.” His son's startled expression had him holding up a hand in an attempt at calming everyone. “Look... I know it's hard, especially for the two of you, considering... well. It's hard for all of us. But, Connor, you need to understand that my feelings for Fallon will in no way affect the way that you and I get along. Not ever.”

He held a hand out to the little boy, who hesitated but then gave his father a hand in return. “Okay...”

“I mean it,” Liam continued. “It's confusing, I know, because all three of us know how painful it can be whenever our parents aren't exactly who we wanted them to be. And I'm sorry I am not the father you probably imagined, but... I'm gonna do my best.” He turned to Fallon, expression hopeful.

She understood immediately, and practically blurted out, “We both will,” before catching herself and adding on more calmly. “Connor, I know you would rather have Liam all to yourself for a while. I get that. But the thing is, really, neither of us are used to being around kids your age, much less kids at all. We hadn't exactly planned on being parental figures so soon. And you don't have to think of me as one, but I do hope you know that I have every intention of being here for both of you when you need it.”

Connor's expression was impossible for her to read, which was certainly worrying. She swallowed and looked down at her hands.

“Connor, I know you don't like me, and that's-- that's okay. I get that a lot, so, it's not your fault or anything. Obviously.”

“Fallon--” Liam attempted, but she just went on.

“We just want you to be happy is all. Because we weren't. And that's really scary, you know? A lot to make up for.”

This time, Connor was the one who interrupted. “Um, Fallon?” He waited for her to look up, presumably taking in the tight line of her jaw and the conflict in her eyes. “I don't _not_ like you. It's just really different, here. Without Mom.”

He didn't need to explain further. They all knew she understood exactly what he meant. She just nodded. Liam tried to give them both a reassuring smile but it didn't really work.

“Listen,” Liam said after a moment, “we also came by because I told Connor what you were working on yesterday. The binder, you know? And we talked about it for a bit, and decided that perhaps he could do with a day off... and we could come by to help you. He said you seemed to be struggling, yesterday.”

Surprised though she was, Fallon agreed automatically, unwilling to put anything between the three of them that hadn't been there before. Instead of making it weird, she just got up and collected the plans, ushering them closer to the desk so she could return to the other side and begin showing them what she'd started.

By the time lunch rolled around, Fallon and Liam had decided on several things, if not the location and date – but things like colors, and how many people they were willing to invite (not to mention _who_ they were willing to invite). Connor had even offered some opinions that they both agreed were definitely valid. He'd actually started smiling as Liam agreed with him or praised his ideas, and for the first time since the whole shopping incident, Fallon felt like maybe they were doing something good. Right, even.

Liam caught her eye from across the desk, and she realized that the smile he offered her mirrored her own. Sure, they were both terrified, still, and sure, they hadn't asked for this. But Connor hadn't either. So they decided to take him out to lunch, and afterwards, he and Liam went home while Fallon got back to work. 

She ended up coming over for dinner that evening, too, and even accepted Liam's invitation to stay the night.


End file.
